Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
THE VOLUNTEER WINS.
SHE BEATS THE MAYFLOWER
 AND CAN SAVE THE CUP.
A Glorious Race in a Smart Wind and Rolling Sea.

The attempt of the America's Cup Com mittee to learn whether Gen. Paine's new steel sloop Volunteer or MT. Morgan's improved Maytlower was the better adapted to meet the Scotch cutter Thistle in the coming contest for the Americas cup was complete success. The wind and the sea at last favored the com mittee. The course was novel. The boats were tested at every point, and to the satisfac ton of all. The Volunteer showed her superi ority at every point, but especially in working to windward. No such burst of speed was ever seen under such circumstances in these waters. The Volunteer will defend the cup, and the yachtsncn came home ready to bet their bottom dollars that she would do it sue c ssfully.
 The preparatory gun telling the racers to get ready to start ten minutes later was fired at II o'clock. While the yachtsmcn stood on tiptoe to watch them, the two racers drove down toward the line. The long, keen stem of the Volunteer sliced through the curling waves with speed that enchanted the spectators. The wind was not as strong as it had been, but there was still enough to make the huge spread of canvas stand out round and full on each boat, and even the oldest and most expe rienced of the yachtsmen talked enthusiastical- ly of the beautiful picture the white racers made as they drove noiselessly along.
 Meantime the Thistle, which had run down the course a mile or two, had come to. It awaited the approach of the racers. She got up her forestaysail, and then, just before the
 
 boom to port. She loafed along thus until the Volunteer overlook her when she first got up a baby jibtopsail, and then she made more sail. Those who were near enough saw dozen of the Scotch sailors tail on to rope leading from the mast aft along under the lee of the big sail. At the word they ran away with it in hurry. Apparently the other end of this rope ran down through the fore hatch, for up through that hole in the deck there shot, like tongue of white flame, the folds of new oil A hn inf of fnro 10 mast tho bottom swung clear of the hatch combing, and for moment the sail hung limp on the port side of the mast, then, as if some pure white sea bird had spread it's wings, the sail was sheeted home. No sail as beautifu as this was ever spread over an American course before. Beside it the white clouds ot duck on the sloops looked yellow.
 In spite of the slight droop in the force of the wind there was no suggestion in the looks of sky or sea that the wind would fail; nor were the yachts running at any slow speed. It was at 1l:41 when the Thistle set her spin maker. At this point the Volunteer passed her. Thirteen minutes later the crew of the Volunteer took in the huge folds of their spinnaker, and the steel slcop headed up bit to the eastward, having discovered the stakeboat a little on her port bow. At about this time the breeze began to freshen, and it was plain that the Volunteer had gained rather than lost by taking in her spin maker. Her jib and staysail were soon set
 
 flower took in her spinnaker, and, coming up point or so, went boiling after her steel op- ponent. Here curious thing happened. Everyone knew that the wind had freshened, but few understood just how much, because all were running nearly before it. But at just l2:O1 the Mayflower's big balloon jib blew right out of the bolt ropes and the greater part of it vanished down behind her hull like puff of steam, leaving patch the size of baby jib fluttering from the stay. There was her ipop that changed the yachtsmen's chorus of sym pathy into one of admiration. In just 5I minutes the wreck was cleared away, and the jib, big jlbtopsail, and forestaysail were set. the fate of the Mayflower's balloon, took hers in and sent up an ordinary jibtopsail in stoops, but did not set it. Thus it happened that the Mayfower gained on the Volunteer in the run to the HaYiland.
 The Volunteer made the ten-nile run in 1:05:46, and the Mayfower in 1:O5:24, or g | seconds faster than the steel sloop.
 The boats were now running free on the starboard tack, reaching in for Ocean Grove, | and roaring, smoking reach 1t was. The continued force of the wind had swelled the white-capped waves of the morning into snow- capped rollers, and into these the racers plunged, throwing the spray mast high when either got an unusual slap from the curl of some breaker, whence it fell with the hues of the rainbow shining | been passed the wind increased in puffs, and | even its ordinary force was greater than it had | been at any time during the morning. Twice, when heavy blasts swept down on the Volun- | teer, wave under her lee bow rose up, and, pouring in over the rail, swept foaming aft and poured over the taffrai, getting we'll up amidships meantime. She was heeling lit tie too much and her clubtopsail had to come | in, leaving the working topsail which had been previously set, pulling bravely. There | laft tp, hp Mayf1nyynr tn in q hf1f this did not last long, It was 1920 when the | Volunteer took in her clubtopsail, and ten minutes later the Mayfower had to follow. The freshening wind proved too much for her, | too.
 The Thistle, meantime, had not only taken in her jib-headed topsail, but had kept up provokingly we'll with the racers in spite of shortened canvas.
 The Volunteer made the nine-mile reach in 45.40, or at the rate of twelve miles an hour, just minute and g seconds faster than the Mayflower.
 Particular attention was paid to the Thistle because as she slipped along out to sea in the wake of the Mayhower she undoubtedly gained not a little. But with about every roll to leeward her lee rail not only disappeared below the smother and dust that her outside chain plates kicked up, but 1t went down un- der the solid water as we'll. The water was dipped mp by the tun. It swished up across her deck as a breaking wave swishes upon the sand of the seashore, and it poured in big tor rents over tue taffrail as we'll as through the scupper holes under it. A gig that hung 1T the lee davits four feet from her deck dipped its keel at every roll, and often plunged gun vale deep in the froth and spume. Her crew in racing style, hung on by their eyelids under
 the weather rail. Except for the little handi
 cap which ''a six-ounce dfngy," as one yachts man called it, towing astern, would give her and perhaps some hold back due to the effec l, of the gigs ill the davits on each rail-a hand
 icap of no great accountable Thistle was do
 ing all that she could do, and that was abou
 as well as the Volunteer could do, for thu
 Mayfiower, IS the sequel shows, was not yer.
 much behind the Volunteer in reaching, an(
 the Thistle little better than the May ; flower.
 1, In the reach back to the Haviland, the Vol , unteer gained minute and 59 seconds on thu Mayhower, making the nine miles this time il
 4i:09. The Thistles skipper had in some wa, , developed sporting blood. He was game t, haul his wind and have his time taken as h. passed this turning point just as the racer ! had done. He had unquestionably beaten tn r Mayilower on the reach out, if any allowanc at all be made for the handicap of his ding , and his boats aboard.
 i But the Volunteer had made another thougl . not very substantial gain on both. Haulin: Q up close to the wind, though still on the DOT f tack, she headed toward the Long Islant r shore, and for about four minutes she helt | that course. Then she came about and point
 ed in toward the Jersey Highlands. The May
 flower and Thistle, however. kept on thei
 course seaward. It would never do to brea
 tachs with the enemy thus, and so four min utes later the Volunteer was around headin for the Long Island shore as before , The course from this point to the home lin at the lishtship was to be made by long leg
 inshore and short ones out. With the wind a , fresh as ever the yachtsmcn were now to SC what the Volunteer could do beating to wind ward, and the sight was going to be somethn , to make the herrt glad. In the entire race S
 far, or over distance of twcnty-eight miles , she had gained only little more than thre minutes on her fleet rival The d-time repu tation of the Mayflower had not only been srls , taincd, but it was clear that she was bette , boat than ever. But the crucial test was tn 1 beat to windward, especially in stiff breez